


Aleksis²

by Zoi no miko (zoi_no_miko)



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-14
Updated: 2013-09-14
Packaged: 2017-12-26 12:49:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/966107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zoi_no_miko/pseuds/Zoi%20no%20miko
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She is competition, the first time he meets her. The second Aleksis.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Aleksis²

She is competition, the first time he meets her. The second Aleksis, small and fierce and beautiful. Even in the middle of dozens of other hopeful candidates - the best Russia has to offer, scoured from all over the country, because Russia always offers her best in every endeavor - she stands out. Maybe it's the shock of bleach blonde hair and the high cheekbones, her red-painted lips that stand at odds to the plain black tank top and camo BDU pants. Maybe it's the way she holds herself, tall and proud, like all the storms of life have tried to topple her and failed.

When he is not fighting his own trials, he watches her. He tries to learn as she knocks each combatant on their ass, as she makes former soldiers and olympic fighters look like amateurs. He tries to anticipate her moves, because if he gets a chance to fight her than he wants to honor her with a good fight.

When she finally stands in front of him she's fast and sharp, and it's all he can do to block her blows, driven back again and again. They fight until they are both sweat-streaked and panting, until he drops his guard in a moment of exhaustion and her foot connects painfully with his ribs. He lashes out and knocks her feet out from under her.

The PPDC declare it a draw.

The next day they are two of six selected to travel to the training grounds in Alaska.

"You should probably go by Aleksey," she says as they wait to board the plane.

"You should probably go by Alexandra," he returns without thinking. He half expects her to be angry, but she merely snorts.

"All right. We arm wrestle for it." She's already taking off her jacket before he can respond.

"Are you crazy?"

"Are you calling me weak?"

He opens his mouth, then closes it again. Then he takes off his jacket.

There aren't any convenient tables, so they end up on their bellies, right hands clasped. Her blue eyes flash with passion. One of the other trainees counts them in, and quick as a flash he's pinned before he can even react.

"Best of three?" she offers, but he knows he was beat long before he agreed to arm wrestle.

He stands, and offers her a hand up, inclining his head respectfully. "Aleksis."

She takes it. Her smile is respectful when she has the right to be triumphant. "Aleksey."

Later, after ten hours of sleeplessness on one plane and another six on the second, after an additional hour in a bus, they finally arrive at the Jaeger Academy. He should feel triumphant, but all he wants to do is crawl into a corner and sleep for two days. It's all he can do to keep his eyes open. He barely notices when the woman who is checking them in calls her name.

"Alexandra Kaidanovskaya?"

Aleksis steps away from his side. "I go by Sasha." She takes the stack of uniform clothes and the card with the bunk assignment on it, then turns back to him and catches his eye, a hint of a smile on her red lips before she disappears down the hallway.

He's still watching after her when they call his name. "It's Aleksis," he says after a moment, wondering.

***

**Author's Note:**

> I have so much love for these two. And so many thoughts in my head about their training, like Sasha being all "Do they really expect me to wear a fucking skirt with this dress uniform?" and drifting and hot sex and all sorts of good stuff. Maybe I will continue.


End file.
